Candidates Tournament 2024 - Round 5

Quite curiously, at least for me, the more interesting games were the draws, where both Fabi and Nepo found themselves in difficult positions, and for example, Fabi was in a losing one. However, their opponents were not forceful enough, and the games ended in a draw. Finally, Naka won after a tough and long game. I feel a bit sorry for Ali, but he made a blunder. The knight is just a tricky piece. Gukesh also won, who in the queen endgame overcame his opponent, and now shares the first place with Nepo.

The results of the fifth round are here:

Alireza Firouzja 0-1 Hikaru Nakamura Gukesh D 1-0 Nijat Abasov Vidit Santosh Gujrathi ½-½ Fabiano Caruana Praggnanandhaa R ½-½ Ian Nepomniachtchi

The long and tough game could be seen in the match between Alireza Firouzja and Hikaru Nakamura. The game did not significantly deviate from the evaluation of 0.00 for all 61 moves. Nevertheless, it was a hard-fought game for both sides. The decisive moment came in the complex endgame after 61...g4. Black was down in material, having a rook for three pawns. Meanwhile, White had a very active rook, and just at this moment, when both players were short on time, Ali played 62.Kxd3?? which led to a loss. The move 62.Ra8! would have led to a draw. Ali probably overlooked that after 62...g3 63.Rg8 g2! the game ends, because after taking on g2, there comes a fork at f4. This was a very important win for Naka and a rather unpleasant loss for Ali, especially with the white pieces.

To find Nakamura's analysis of the game on YouTube, you can search for his channel or look for a video where he discusses this specific game. Nakamura often provides insightful commentary on his own games, so his channel would be a good place to start for in-depth analysis and explanations of the moves and strategies used in the game against Firouzja.

The game between Gukesh D and Nijat Abasov was a tough battle. It was a Russian game, and after the opening, Black achieved a good position and certainly equalized. However, several inaccuracies were made, and Gukesh gained control of the "e" file. Even then, it was difficult to make progress, so White played 25.c4 followed by 26.c5. Gukesh then won a pawn on a4, but it was still not easy to convert the advantage, as Black had certain activity. It was not White who played imprecisely next. If Black had played 42...Nd7!, he would have been close to equalizing. Both players then made a major mistake, with Black going 45...Rg5? and then White not capturing on c6, but playing 46.Ne4? This led to a queen endgame, which was objectively a draw, but as we all know, these endgames can be very challenging for the weaker side. Gukesh managed to outlast his opponent and won the game.

Fabiano Caruana (Fabi) was close to losing in the match against Vidit Santosh Gujrathi. Fabi opted for a rare maneuver in the Sicilian with 5...Bg4 followed by ...Bh5. Vidit took a long time to think here. However, as the game progressed, it was evident that Fabi was not comfortable with his position. Vidit castled long, gaining space and better chances. Fabi decided to attack with 17...a4, but he was down a pawn. The move 22...e5 was objectively not good. A critical position arose after 25...Rf8, as now 26.Kc2!! followed by Kd3 should have given White a clear winning advantage! However, in the game, 26.Qe5?? occurred, and after 26...Qa4, the moves were repeated.

The match between Praggnanandhaa R (Pragg) and Ian Nepomniachtchi was very attractive. Pragg was excellently prepared, following his opening preparation up to around move 23. Particularly, the 22nd move by White, Qd3!, was very strong, requiring Black to play the computer-suggested 22...g6, which was not at all easy. Nepo opted for 22...Nd7, which was playable, but after 23.Rxd5 he erred with 23...Nc5? and was also an hour behind on the clock! However, Pragg did not capitalize on his opportunity when he had to play 26.Qe5! (threatening to take on h6) Kg8 27.Rg6 Rf7 28.Rxg7+!, with the idea of skewering the rook on a8 and having a winning position. But in the game, 26.Bf5? happened instead. Nepo correctly played 26...Nb7!, the queens were exchanged, and the game ended in a draw.

As of the fifth round, the standings are as follows:

• GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, 2758 - 3.5 points
• GM Gukesh D, 2743 - 3.5 points
• GM Fabiano Caruana, 2803 - 3 points
• GM Hikaru Nakamura, 2789 - 2.5 points
• GM Praggnanandhaa R, 2747 - 2.5 points
• GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, 2727 - 2 points
• GM Alireza Firouzja, 2760 - 1.5 points
• GM Nijat Abasov, 2632 - 1.5 points

So far, Nepo and Gukesh are leading, with Fabi closely "on their heels".

For more details and to follow the games, you can visit:

• Lichess atLichess Broadcast
• The official site of the tournament atFIDE Candidates 2024

The information comes from Robert Cvek.